1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the golf industry and more specifically to a golf bag and a method of transporting a golf bag. This novel approach combines a golf bag for carrying golf clubs and similar equipment with a transportation cart that also functions as a golf bag stand, thus eliminating the need for a separate golf bag stand. The invention described herein may also be employed in transporting other similarly shaped objects.
2. Description of Related Art
The game of golf continues to increase in popularity. The game requires golfers to employ a variety of specialized equipment: golf clubs, golf bag for storing and transporting golf clubs, shoes, golf balls, divot tools, etc. All this equipment makes a golf bag a heavy and cumbersome device to transport. Usually, a golfer carries a golf bag by picking up a handle or by utilizing a shoulder strap that enable a golfer to carry a bag over a golf course. However, a golf bag containing several golf clubs added to its own weight is very heavy, and considering the size of a typical golf course, a golfer would grow quite tired by carrying a golf bag during a typical game.
Typical golf bag shown in FIG. 1 has the bag body, partitions providing for golf club placement, and golf bag stands.
An additional problem is created by the need to support a bag while a golfer is actually playing and keep it from falling on the ground. This problem is usually solved by supporting a golf bag at its rim with two extendable stands. The stands need to be brought back to their rest position every time a golfer moves along a golf course and extended again to support a bag every time a golfer is ready to play.
In order to move a heavy golf bag across a golf course, variety of transportation devices, generally of manual pull-cart type have been employed for this purpose. Typically, a cart and a bag are separate units. This of itself requires additional handling while transporting the two to and from a golf course. A typical pull cart is quite heavy, bulky and time consuming to use with a golf bag. The added weight comes from the framework built to rest and attach a golf bag. The framework likewise makes a typical golf bag quite bulky and inconvenient to use. This process involves loading a bag onto a cart, strapping or otherwise attaching it to the cart and pushing or pulling it along the golf course. The straps also need to be kept in good condition as they can easily get snagged by the trees or other vegetation. A golf bag and a cart also need to be stored at and transported from player's home to a golf course and back. This poses additional difficulties as both devices tend to be bulky and cumbersome to move. A large storage area is required at player's home and a car with a large trunk or passenger compartment is needed for transportation. Additionally, the manufacturing cost of a golf bag and a complicated golf cart are unnecessarily high. Typical golf bag cart is shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.
A typical golf bag transportation device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,527, Hybrid Golf Bag Technology, wherein a wheel mount is attached to the bottom of the golf bag. While this method provides for relatively easy golf bag movement, the wheels and the bag do not form an integral part and the bag still needs to be supported in its stationary position, thus requiring that separate support stands be employed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,589, Golf Bag Functioning As A Golf Cart and a Foot Stand, attempts to integrate bag transportation mechanism employing dismountable wheels and a bag stand. While this approach meets its basic design function, the transport structure is very complicated requiring primary and secondary supports, retaining elements, cylindrical posts, etc., and the wheels have to be manually removed from their installed positions and stored inside a compartment for a shoulder carry position. The added weight and cost of this complicated structure are its additional disadvantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,299, Detachable Wheels for a Golf Bag, describes a golf bag which is adopted to receive a pair of detachable wheels at the bottom of the bag. While the device enables bag transportation, it fails to provide solid support for the bag in its standing position. Another limitation of this design is that the wheels have to be very small in order to conform to the bag bottom, thus further compromising the bag stability in stationary or moving position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,889, Golf Bag Cart, is similar in its approach to the U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,299 and the bag still requires separate support stands.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,025, Golf Bag Retaining Device, does not address bag transportation issue but only the support it in its stationary and generally upright position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,482 describes a Pull Cart. This cart may be adopted to transport a golf bag. The structure is quite complex, large and it requires that a bag be fastened to the cart.
U.S. Pat. No. D 468,098, Combination Inner Shell of Golf Bag and Golf Cart, provides for the bag transportation and support in rest position with a wheel structure that folds into the bag body when not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. D 482,170, Double Rails Golf Cart, is a stand alone unit separate from a golf bag. It requires that a bag be loaded onto it and occupies large area whether in storage or in a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,563, Golf Bag Cart describes a stand alone cart that is fixed to a bag via bolts and rivets. While an improvement over some of the other patents mentioned it is still a complex and difficult to manufacture device.
A typical integrated bag and cart device encountered in some of the prior art is a very complex unit. Usually, a device of this type includes a bag adopted for receiving several golf clubs, upper and lower fixation members fixed to the bag, and a support detachably coupled to the upper and lower fixation members at its upper and lower ends. A pair of leg members are coupled to the support at their ends via a first bracket such that they can be rotated with a predetermined angle with respect to each other. Wheels are coupled to the opposite ends of the leg members such that they can be rotated. A holding handle is coupled to an upper portion of the support at its one end via a second bracket such that it can be rotated. A pair of link members are coupled to the holding handle at their one ends and to the leg members at their opposite ends such that they can be rotated. A locking member is provided in the holding handle to detachably fix the holding handle to the upper fixation member while keeping the outstretched state of the leg members to be constant.
In this type of cart when the holding handle is elevated while rotating around the second bracket, the link members are operated to thereby rotate the leg members around the first bracket and outstretch them. When the leg members are completely outstretched, the locking member of the holding handle is inserted into a locking groove formed at the upper fixation member to keep the outstretched state of the leg members to be constant. In order to fold the holding member and the leg members, it is necessary to release the locking state of the locking member and rotate the holding handle around the second bracket to thereby descend it. At this time, the leg members are rotated downwards and adhere to the bag.
A cart as described above, involves complicated structure that makes it difficult for the user to handle in a convenient way. Furthermore, the cart like this cannot easily move while keeping the folded state of leg members to be constant. Particularly, the cart cannot move easily in a narrow place with the outstretched leg members.
Furthermore, since the holding handle or the shoulder string for picking up and carrying the cart is positioned on the front surface of the bag opposite to the surface sided with the leg members, the leg members are likely to be swayed or outstretched due to their own weight, causing inconvenience or even safety problems.
Most of the golf bags and carts described above are complicated, cumbersome and expensive to manufacture. For these reasons there is a need for an improved golf bag with and integrated cart that does not need a separate support stands, is simple to use, occupies minimal space and is inexpensive to manufacture. The golf bag invention described here meets these requirements.